Sunday, August 1, 2010

I could not find the fact about the actual history of Materiel Branch in the RMAF. There is no books, journals or documentation to be referred. What I can remember, when I got chopped from Flying Training (2 FTC, Kluang) in 1981, there were 6 more Branches (other than Pilot) in the RMAF namely; Engineering, Supply, Admin, ATC, ADC and Fire (Bomba). During the interview (by the Commandant) I choosed to join Supply and temporarily attached to Supply Branch, RMAF Kluang. The head of Supply Branch in the RMAF Base called 'Ketua Cawang Bekalan' or OC Supply.

According to the seniority list, Supply Branch (or Cawang Bekalan) is third in the RMAF Corps after Flying and Engineering Branch. I also could not remember when the name of' Supply' was changed to 'Logistic'. When I joined the Basic Supply Course in ITU Kinrara in 1983, the name of the Course was already 'Logistics Officer Management Course' under 'Sekolah Logistik (SEKLOG)'. The Supply Officer was later called as Logistic Officer. The head of Materiel Branch in units known as 'Ketua Cawang Logistik (KCL). However, until today, most of the senior group in the RMAF still convenient to mention 'Supply Officer' or 'Logistic Officer' rather than 'Materiel Officer'.

At the end of 1980s or early 1990s, the Branch was rename as 'Materiel'. In 1994 RMAF reorganization, the materiel support for the operational squadrons was detached from the Materiel Branch. Each squadron has its own 'Materiel Flight' headed by 'Ketua Flait Materiel (KFM)'. The Materiel Branch was known as 'Skuadron Materiel' and headed by 'Ketua Skn Materiel (KSM)'. The role of Materiel Squadron only limited to providing domestic support to the base.

What is Materiel?. Materiel is a French word means equipment or hardware, and the term used in English to refer to the 'equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management. In the military context, materiel relates to the specific needs of a force to complete a specific mission or in simple words materiel described as the needs of a functioning troops. (Ref: wikipedia)

The head of Materiel Branch in the RMAF is 'Assistant Chief of Staff -Materiel' or 'Assisten Ketua Staf Materiel (AKS Materiel). Firstly, it was known as 'Assisten Panglima (Bekalan) or 'ASBEK' and later in 1989 changed to 'Assisten PTU (Materiel) or 'APTU Materiel'. Since it was established, the rank of the holder is 'Brigedier Jeneral'. Till date, this is the highest career position for Materiel Officer. Since it was established, there were 3 times the holder of the appointment were 'non-Logistic Officer'.

The roles and responsibilities of Materiel Branch is very wide. None of the Materiel Officers can master in all fields in the branch. Basically the sub-specialisations in the career of Materiel Officers can be grouped into the following:

The establishment of Pusat Materiel Udara (PMU) was evoluted since the establishment of the RMAF itself in June 1958. In the early stage, the logistic support for the RMAF operations was managed by the Supply Squadron of KL Air Base (also known as Sempang) which received the support form the RAF Maintenance Depot in Seletar Air Base, Singapore. To cater the fast development of the RMAF, the project to build up a dedicated logistic depot for the RMAF wasestabllished in 1962.

In 01 Jan 1964, the government built RMAF Hardware Depot in KL Air Base. The name was later changed to Depot Bekalan (DEBEK) in 1968. This depot was directly commanded from the Air Staff Division in MINDEF until 1980 when all the support roles of the RMAF took over by Markas Bantuan Udara (MABANUD). In 1987, the name of DEBEK was changed to Depot Logistik (DEPLOG) and one again changed to Pusat Materiel Udara (PMU) in 1989.

The head of the Depot since its inauguration in 1964 was 'Officer Commanding' until it changed to 'Commandant' in June 1972, however the title was changed to 'Pegawai Memerintah (Commanding Officer)' in Jan 1973 until 1994 when the RMAF implemented the major structural reorganisation. In this 'reorg' major part of PMU were shifted into the newly established 'Formation HQ' knwon as 'Markas No 3 Divisyen Udara'. The only elements left in the depot were Warehousing and Transportation.

The Warehouse Units were known as 'Materiel Udara' or 'MATRA'. The establishment of MATRAs were based on regional plus 'system' concept. The haed of MATRA is known as 'Ketua MATRA' (equivalent to Officer Commanding). There are four MATRAs were established as follow:

MATRA 1 in KL Air Base with the function of Central Transportation & Distribution Service (including export and import), Central Unit Return and Domestic Services.

MATRA 2 in Subang Air Base for the storage of components and spares for all type of Transport aicraft, helicopters and Radar systems. MATRA 2 is also functioning as central service for publications and printing.

MATRA 3 in Butterworth Air Base keeping F/A-18D and F5E components and spares.

MATRA 4 in Kuantan Air Base is functioning for the storage of components and spares for Hawks, MB339 and MiG-29 aircraft.

The nucleus of MATRA 5 in Gong Kedak Air Base is established in 2010 to be responsible for the support of SU30MKM aircraft.

Pegawai Memerintah Pusat Materiel Udara

Sqn Ldr E.A Wisemen (Jan 1964 - March 1966)

Sqn Ldr C.B Chapmann (March 1966 - May 1967)

Wg Cdr Loke Kok Lye (May 1967 - xx)

Lt Kol (U) Lawrence Chai Tat Onn

Lt Kol (U) Abd Rahman bin Mohd Raisi

Lt Kol (U) Mior Azam bin Mior Saf

Lt Kol (U) Zali bin Shafie

Kol Richard Casimir Robless TUDM

Kol Hj Mohamad bin Hj Awangla

Kol Hj Abdul Rahman bin Mohd Rais TUDM

Ketua MATRA 1

Lt Kol Mohd Johari bin Mohd Rais TUDM

Mej Azizan bin Shaari TUDM

Mej Rahlim Asmi bin Abd Rashid TUDM

Mej Zulkefri bin Omar TUDM

Mej Rodzuan bin Abd Ghani TUDM

Mej Mohd Zawawi bin Osman TUDM

Mej Kamarudin bin Kasim TUDM

Mej Abdullah bin Lazim TUDM (2006 - 2008)

Mej Zolkeple bin Ayob TUDM (2008 - 2009)

Mej Wan Feisal bin Wan Sulaiman TUDM (2009 - kini)

Ketua MATRA 2

Lt Kol Ariffin bin Musa TUDM

Lt Kol Zulkifli bin Ahmad TUDM

Lt Kol Rajah Krishnan a/l Perumal TUDM

Mej Zainuddin bin Sahak TUDM

Ketua MATRA 3

Mej Kamarudin bin Kasim TUDM

Mej Kamarulzaman bin Mohd Khamis TUDM

Mej Jaffri bin Mohd Isa TUDM

Mej Denis bin Ajoh TUDM

Mej Rafidi Anuar bin Abu Samah TUDM

Ketua MATRA 4

Mej David Marshall TUDM

Mej Wan Feisal bin Wan Sulaiman TUDM

Mej Zulkifli bin Md Isa TUDM

Mej Abd Rahim bin Salleh TUDM

Mej Zulkifli bin Hashim TUDM

Mej Alyas bin Awang TUDM (Pemangku)

Mej Hamzah bin Hussein TUDM (2009 - kini)

Ketua MATRA 5

Mej Abd Ghaffur bin Mohd Ali TUDM (01 Okt 2010 - kini)

* some of the list above are not according to the order & required for verification. I am still looking for 'free time' to go to RMAF Museum to find more information.

After the RMAF major organizational restructure in 1993, No 3 Air Division was established and following to that the establishment of Pusat Materiel Udara (PMU) was reshuffled. The element of Provisioning, Purchasing and Repair Services were absorbed into the No 3 Air Div, and the storage element in PMU were divided into four regional depot namely MATRA 1, MATRA 2, MATRA 3 and MATRA 4. All the MATRA became independent unit under the command of No 3 Air Div Commander.

In conjuction with that restructure, the appointment of 'Pegawai Memerintah PMU' was shifted to No 3 Air Div HQ and known as 'Ketua Staf Khidmat' and doing the staff functions.

The members (warga) of Materiel Branch shall be proud with the existence of Logistics Management Training Centre or 'PLPL'. PLPL is located in the 53 acres piece of land at Kinrara town. The total area of Kinrara Camp is 104 acres. The other 51 acres is belong to the Army, and where the Armed Forces Hospital (94 HAT) was formerly located (before it moved to Wangsa Maju in 2008). This Army and RMAF land is centrally divided by the border of KL Federal Territory and Selangor. PLPL is in the State of Selangor.

This RMAF Kinrara land was formerly belong to the British Army and handed over the RMAF in 1963 when the 'Aircraft Engineering School (Sekolah Kejuruteraan kapal Terbang) or SKKT ' was established. The age of Supply Training is as old as the establishment of SKKT in 1963 where the basic training for the 'Supply' officers and airmen was conducted. When the name of 'SKKT' changed to 'Institut Teknologi Udara (ITU)' in 1982, the name of Supply Training School was also changed to 'Sekolah Logistik (SEKLOG)'.

In 1987, a training school for 'RMAF Specialist Vehicles' Operator' was established and located at Subang (attached to Aircraft Overhaul Depot or 'DEBKAT'). The name of this training school was 'Pusat Latihan Kenderaan Khas (PLKK)'. Later, the school also trained RMAF domestic vehicles' drivers and MTO. Prior to this, all the MTO and drivers were trained by the Army Service Corps in Taiping.

Under the major 'REORG' of RMAF Organisation in 1993/94 had opened the new sheet for the Materiel Branch. The RMAF KINRARA was closed and the major plan was 'all the training activities in the RMAF will be centralised at RMAF ALOR SETAR under the name of 'Kolej Tentera Udara (KTU)'. Since, TUDM AS could not accommodate the whole package of roulement, the Engineering School moved first. The SEKLOG and SEKTARA (Admin School) attached to Subang Air Base. The Squadron Officers School (SOS) occupied the RMAF building at Jalan Azyze, Penang which was vacated by MARDIK (Markas Pendidikan). MARDIK moved to Subang Air Base.

In 1997, 'SEKLOG' merged with 'PLKK' and formed 'PLPL'. The training school occupied two buildings near to the RMAF Subang's airmen block.

A great initiative is done in 2001 by the then AKS Materiel (Brig Jen Dato' Ali Nasiruddin bin Ibrahim TUDM) to rework the RMAF Kinrara land. The main building of former 'ITU' was refurbished and followed by rebuilding one by one the deteriorated 'wooden buildings'. All the old married quarters were also refurbished. In early 2002, RMAF Kinrara Complex appeared with the new face and image. The complex is equipped with Administrative Building, classrooms, library, Officers' Mess, Sergeant Mess and Airmen Blocks. This year, 'PLPL' was officially moved from RMAF Subang to RMAF Kinrara. 'DOUBLE SALUTE' should be given to 'Brig Jen Dato' Ali Nasirudin TUDM'. Credit should also given to 'Lt Kol Ahmad Zaini bin Mohd Ali TUDM (then Mejar), who administrated, monitored and assured all the reworks, rebuildings and refurbishments were done accordingly (also to the others who contributed to the movement).

All the members of MATERIEL BRANCH should be very-very proud on their contributions. Without their efforts, we do not have our 'OWN BASE'. Eventhough only a '53 acres' base.

The Head of SEKLOG Kinrara:

Mej (U) Haji Zakaria bin Abd Ghani

Mej (U) Nik Hishamuddin bin Ibrahim (1981 - 1983)

Mej (U) Ng Poh Wah (1883 - 1986)

Mej (U) Baharudin bin Sulaiman TUDM

Mej (U) Shaharudin bin Othman TUDM

*need to be verified and corrected. I hope someone can email me to correct the list.

The Head of SEKLOG Subang:

Lt Kol Mohammad Noor bin Mat Rani TUDM

Mej Mohd Yunus bin Masjuki TUDM

Mej Zulkifli bin Ahmad TUDM

Mej Rajah Krishnan TUDM

*(need to be verified and corrected)

The Commanding Officer of 'PLPL Kinrara' since it was established were:

Brig Jen Dato Anim bin Harun DSNS KMN psc TUDM. - He took early retirement in 1989. He is now the MD of Dilog Training & Services Sdn Bhd and BOD of Rekapacific Bhd

Brig Jen Datuk Richard Casimir Robless DSPN PAT SAP KMN mpat TUDM - his last appointment was Panglima No 3 Division Udara. He took early retirement in 1995 to lead the setting up of ATSC Sdn Bhd where he became the MD before he resigned in 1999. He is now the CEO of Rajawali Aerospace Sdn Bhd, BOD of Datum Corp Sdn Bhd, BOD of First Sunray Sdn Bhd and Chairman of Yayasan Tan Sri Dominic Vendargon.

Living the RMAF at 'Pilot Officer/Flying Officer/Leftenan Muda/Leftenan

Lt (U) Mohd Fadzin bin Ismail - ex-Nuri pilot.

Lt (U) Zulkifli - Zul minyak

Lt (U) Mohd Azli TUDM

Lt (U) Salam TUDM

Lt (U) Roslan

Lt (U) Razali Ahmad Rogigan TUDM

Lt Mahussin bin Abdullah TUDM

Lt Mohd Zakir bin Saad TUDM

Lt M (U) Jamaluddin Abd Ghani

Dear Sir, Gentlemen and Ladies (ex-RMAF Logistic Officers),

I am still updating this blog page. Those who read this blog and found your name (or any name that in your memory) is/are not in the above list, please email me your particulars. Thank You.

Materiel (or Logistic or Supply) Corps is well known with its 'strong comradeship and cooperation' in the RMAF. I quoted a statement from one of our senior Materiel officer. According to him, one of the PTU has said (toward the end of his service)

"I had done a lot of thing during my tenure as a Chief, I almost successful in any thing I wanted to do. But, one thing I failed to do is to break up the comradeship of the Logistic Officer"